Peaches
by i.eat.rich.kids
Summary: "Armin's appearance really didn't change much since they were children. However, he changed in a different way. The air around Armin was different. He appeared more downtrodden, his smiles were often forced, as if something were weighing on his mind. And tonight only proved that." High school AU. M for homophobia, language, and sexual content.
1. The New Kid

So I'm in love with reading high school AU's for Eremin, and I decided to finally write one. My last fic wasn't that great it was a drabble at 4 in the morning, forgive me lol. Be prepared for lots of angst, eventual sex, and lack of knowledge about football. Chapter 1 of ?

* * *

Summary: Armin and Eren were always close childhood friends, however Armin moved away after elementary school and lost contact with his best friend. Now in his second year of high school, Armin is back but has changed from when Eren last saw him.

* * *

Armin was always pure. Eren had always associated his best friend with purity. He was very delicate yet unrefined in his mannerisms. The way he would pick a flower or hold the pages of a book between his fingers was so graceful, but it came very natural to him. Even when they were playing, and Armin's blonde hair would become disheveled or his clothes rumpled, he never lost his soft demeanor. Eren adored these little things about his only friend; he adored his beauty, yet Armin never was aware of how beautiful he was, exactly. Eren loved him strongly, he always protected him and never wanted anything in return other than to see him smile. In his innocence, Eren thought that he and Armin would remain friends forever.

Eren's world came crashing down on the last day of elementary school. The two boys were in the playground of the school by themselves, not inside with their peers, anxious about beginning middle school after summer. With tears and snot running down his face, Armin told his very best friend that he was moving.

"Wait, why?! Why are you leaving me, Armin?" Eren asked in disbelief.

Armin, attempting to compose himself, wiped away his tears with his shirt sleeve. "I don't know, my parents decided that they wanted me to go to a better school. It's some private school called St. Sina's or something. It's really...really far away...and I..." Armin broke out into more sobbing before finishing his sentence. Eren leaned forward and hugged him. He refused to cry, he had to be strong for his friend, or else who would he lean on in a time like this? Armin hugged him back, and squeezed him as if he would disappear if he let go.

"Armin, don't worry, I'll always be here for you. No matter where you are, I'm always here." At that moment, Armin stopped crying, and Eren shed a tear that Armin never saw.

Eren lost contact with Armin after that, and sought to drown out his sorrow by keeping himself busy. Only Armin was permitted to see his emotional side, and now that he was gone, Eren never grew too attached with anyone else. He met a girl named Mikasa in middle school, and they became so close that one was not seen without the other, but he didn't act like he acted with Armin around her. As the years went by Eren grew and matured into a very athletic and handsome young man. He struggled with his academics, but he tried very hard to succeed. He became popular and was very driven. Though he was frustrated easily and had a bit of a temper, Eren was almost the ideal high school student.

It was only the beginning of November of his sophomore year and Eren Yeager was already starting to become bored with high school. He attained everything a teenager could want, and he slowly was beginning to lose purpose in his popularity and even in football. He had a couple of girlfriends before, sleeping with them wasn't as big of a deal as he thought it would be, but things just didn't work out. Occasionally he would think of his long lost friend Armin, and hoped he was doing okay, wherever he was.

Eren didn't get much sleep the previous night and decided to drift off in homeroom. Any sleep was good at this point, even if it was a half and hour. He felt Mikasa's presence behind him as she sat in her seat, and didn't say a word to not disturb her slumbering friend. Homeroom began and Eren only heard muffled sounds and scattered words coming from his teacher.

Homecoming...

PTA meeting...

Dress code reinforcement...

New student...

Armin Arlelt...

He woke with a start at the name. Perhaps he was just dreaming again. Eren rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. He looked to the front of the class to see where the new kid was.

It took everything in Eren's power not to run up and hug his friend. It really was Armin. He didn't seem to notice Eren. His big, doe-like blue eyes were distant, but he smiled at the class anyway. Armin never changed his hair style, he kept it in a bowl cut, his hair looked as fair as Eren remembered it. His light skin was in contrast to the black hoodie he was wearing, underneath the hoodie he wore a black and white striped t-shirt. He also donned jeans and navy blue converse.

"Now, he needs someone to guide him through the school. Any volunteers?" The teacher said.

Eren shot up out of his seat and raised his hand. "I-I'll guide him!" Armin looked towards Eren. He smiled gently towards his old friend. The homeroom teacher looked at Armin. "You're okay with him showing you around, right?"

"Yes." He smiled at Eren again.

* * *

"Look, it looks like we have two classes together!" Eren beamed. After homeroom was finished, Eren looked at Armin's schedule and was escorting him to his first class. "Ahh, I have to walk you all the way to the third building. My first class is over there in the second one."

"Oh then you don't have to walk me if you don't want to. I don't want you to be late for class."

"No!" Eren jumped. He cleared his throat, he didn't want to seem _too _eager. "No, I mean, it's okay I'm always late for that class anyway. I hate geometry." He scanned over Armin's schedule again. "Whoa, you're taking a lot of advanced classes. I guess that's why we only have two together." Eren laughed nervously. He walked on eggshells for fear of scaring him off.  
Armin leaned over to the class schedule. "And which classes are those?"

"Ah, um, Earth science and gym."

"I'll be glad to see you there."

Eren grinned wildly. They walked together in awkward silence halfway to Armin's first class when Eren decided to make conversation. "Um, why...why'd you come back, Armin?"

Armin stopped for a few seconds before walking slowly again, his head hung low. "My parents were killed in a car accident. They were on their yearly road trip. I moved in with my grandfather who still lives around here."  
"Oh, god Armin I'm so sorr-"

"No, don't. Don't pity me like that, I've had my time to mourn." Armin looked at the brunette square in the eye. "My time to grieve is done, and pity is the last thing I want. I want a normal life again." Eren couldn't respond. After the intense words, Armin softened up again, as they were outside his classroom.

"Thank you for walking me to class, Eren." He smiled apologetically.

Baffled at Armin's changed aura, Eren turned around to walk to his own class.

A couple of periods passed and now they were in Earth science together. Armin seemed to forget about the conversation he had with Eren in the hallway, and Eren was okay with that. He really wanted to get close to his long lost friend again. They sat together in the back of the class, Eren tried to make as much small talk as he could, but the teacher kept hushing them. They would probably have a better opportunity to talk in gym class.

Eren was showing Armin around, "And in the back are the showers and locker rooms. We keep our gym clothes in there. There aren't any available lockers left, so I guess you could share mine, if that's alright with you."

Armin scanned the locker room that they walked in. His nose twitched at the slightly pungent smell of the room. "Oh, yes, that's fine."

Eren tried not to chuckle. He realized that a public school locker room was not where Armin belonged. He went to an elite private school for years, he probably wore school uniforms and spent most of his time in a grand library that Eren imagined all private schools would have. They probably had cleaner gym facilities and they probably got changed in stalls that had curtains. The thought amused Eren, but then he was then filled with this overwhelming need to make accommodations for Armin. This was his best friend from childhood, he needed to make him comfortable. He wanted to get close to him again and tell him everything. He wanted Armin to pat his head and smile at him, he wanted them to laugh together again. Eren wanted things to go back to the way they used to be.

"Eren?" Armin asked, disturbing Eren from his train of thought.

"Ah, um, yes?" He shook out of his dazed state.

"I asked if we should start changing now."

"Oh, um, yeah I guess." Eren said as he peeked out of the locker room door to see boys entering the gym. "Yeah, everyone's coming in, so we could change now."

Armin and Eren began disrobing with their backs turned to each other. As kids they would bathe together, so what was this awkward air between them? Eren turned to see if Armin had even brought any gym clothes. He was already half-naked and was unfolding clothes from his backpack. Eren couldn't help but notice Armin's body. It hadn't changed much since they were kids, really. His skinny limbs dangled at his sides, his shoulder blades were protruding, and Eren assumed his ribs and collarbone were, too. It looked as though his body hadn't seen sunlight in years. Despite these features, Armin didn't look the least bit sickly, in fact, his limber body was attractive. Eren shook himself from his thoughts, and began changing into his sweats. He was a bit flustered at the way he was looking at his friend.

Armin wasn't the greatest at physical exercise. They ran the track today, and he was the last one to finish, barely. He almost passed out when they went back to the locker room.

"Hey, Armin, you okay?" Eren and the other boys surrounded him in concern as his chest was heaving, gasping for air.

"Y-Yeah, I was never good at running." Armin laughed. He tried shaking off the pain in his chest as best as he could so he wouldn't worry his peers.

Eren gave him one last concerned look before changing back into his own clothes.

* * *

The next few weeks went rather smoothly, Armin became acquainted with Mikasa and they got along well. They went over to each others' houses and watched movies and talked about their hobbies. Eren especially loved it when Armin talked about his years in the illustrious St. Sina's private academy. It offered schooling from kindergarten all the way to high school graduation. It was renowned for its collection of creatively and intellectually gifted students.

"I made it into the middle school because the board was willing to pay for my tuition. I was academically apt enough to enroll, but my parents couldn't afford it on their own, so I was very lucky. It was kind of difficult sometimes, because most of the students paid their way to get in and I was sometimes teased because I was poor." Armin remarked one of the days he stayed over at Eren's house. They were on his bedroom floor, watching T.V. "Oh, but it wasn't all bad. I learned a lot of wonderful things."  
"Like what?" Eren listened intently, leaning closer towards the blonde.

"Ah, let's see." Armin said thoughtfully, pausing a moment to collect his thoughts. "I learned to play piano and I learned calligraphy. Though, I really took an interest in marine biology. The ocean is such a beautiful, mysterious place."

Eren was captivated by how Armin spoke when he discussed the things he loved. It was magical, really. The way he would go on and on about anything at all. Perhaps it was because Armin became a beacon in Eren's life now that he returned, despite the tragic circumstances.

That night was a Friday and Eren had invited Armin to stay the night, like they used to when they were kids. It was around eight before they decided to step out to buy some snacks at a local convenience store, only a couple of blocks away. Armin didn't bring a jacket and he felt the autumn air chill his bones. Without a second thought, Eren slid off his varsity jacket and placed it over Armin's shoulders.

"No, that's yours! I'll be fine."

"Don't worry, we're almost there anyway. I don't get cold easily, you need it more than me."

Armin didn't argue any further and obediently slipped his arms through the sleeves of the jacket. They made it to the small convenience store and Eren began greedily taking armfuls of snacks. "You can pick out what you want to, Armin." He motioned to him. Armin nodded and started awkwardly browsing for something to buy. He wasn't a big fan of junk food, so he settled for a small bag of sunflower seeds instead. While Eren was too busy rampaging the section of soft drinks, someone tapped Armin on the shoulder. One glance and Armin was petrified. He immediately sunk his head and tried to hide his face in his hair. Panic overwhelmed him, his heart beat wildy, unsure of what to do in his present situation. He didn't want to cause a scene.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered low.

"Nothing, I have family that lives around this area. Don't get scared, I won't do anything. The past is behind us, okay?" The other boy rambled.

He brushed past Armin, and he felt a slight tug on the varsity jacket, and the other boy left the convenience store without making a purchase.

"Hey Armin, is that all you want?" Eren said, coming back from his raids in the other aisles, staring at the sunflower seeds.

Armin laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry, I think you've got everything covered with the snacks, I'm not much of a junk food person anyway."  
Once they were outside walking back to Eren's home, Armin reached into the pocket of the varsity jacket and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper. He unfolded it.

The note said "FAGGOT" in loud, red lettering.

Armin began to uncontrollably sob.

* * *

This chapter is a bit lengthy, I thought. More angst coming soon


	2. A confessing of sins

Ahh~ I'm so happy for such positive feedback from my first chapter. Thank you so much it's making me blush! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to upload the second chapter, I'm hoping that this will not happen from now on. I was supposed to upload it sooner but because my laptop kept mysteriously deleting whatever progress I made, it was kind of making me feel crummy. But I remain triumphant over my evil laptop! Also, I have in the works another Eremin AU fic, but it might be more tedious to write so I might not publish it for a while. Anyway, here's chapter 2!

* * *

Armin sat on his bed surrounded by textbooks and notebooks. Heavy curtains blocked any view of outside, and the only light visible was the electronic glow of his laptop. He had not gone to school that entire week, but still managed to keep up with all of his work from home. He lied to all of his teachers, he emailed them saying that he came down with a terrible cold. It was rather believable, considering the fact that winter was fast approaching.

In the middle of writing a report he looked over to his desk, which had Eren's folded varsity jacket carefully lain. His mind wandered to the horribly embarrassing events that occurred the previous weekend. Why was he so goddamn weak? Crying over a stupid note.

_But it's not some stupid note. It's happening again. What if Eren found out? _

Tears began to well up in the corners of Armin's eyes. He quickly rubbed them away before they rolled down his face. He didn't want to think about the boy, or the note he gave him. He didn't want to think about how hard he cried. He didn't want to think about Eren's face when he asked him what was wrong. And sure as hell Armin didn't want to think about how he just ran straight home without uttering a word to Eren.

Armin sat up and stretched. He'll take a break now, the report should be finished by tonight. Then tomorrow morning he'll get to that calculus work. He walked downstairs to the kitchen where his grandfather was putting on his shoes to go to work. He worked the graveyard shift at a local printing press.

"Good evening." Armin said, heading towards the fridge.

"I left some lasagna in there, all you have to do is heat it up in the microwave."

"Thanks."

Armin's grandfather hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat and saying, "You know, you'll have to go to school eventually. I have no problems with you staying at home doing your work, because you're very diligent, but you can't lock yourself up forever."

Armin looked down. His grandpa really was an understanding person, he didn't even need to explain his situation before staying home for a whole week. The blonde felt grateful for that. "I know." He said quietly.

"You are a very bright young man, but you will have to face what you truly fear sooner or later." He paused for a moment. "Don't do what you did when you went to St. Sina's."

Armin cringed. As understanding and caring as his grandfather was, he was also brutally honest.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning, Armin. Don't overwork yourself." With that, he left to work.

Armin just prepared his late dinner in silence, his grandfather's words resonating deep within him. He'll have to go to school on Monday, for sure, but he wasn't ready to face Eren.

* * *

"You should just visit him." Mikasa suggested. She and Eren were at his house, sitting on his large sofa in the living room. Eren's entire week was screwed up. Ever since Armin left crying out of nowhere last week, he couldn't keep his mind off of his friend. When he left, a piece of paper fluttered at his feet. Eren recalls picking it up and reading it, feeling a mixture of anger and confusion. Who gave Armin the note? Just what the hell happened? His mind was reeling.

"I can't just show up uninvited."

"Why not? I do it all the time."

"Yeah, well it's annoying when you do." Eren retorted.

Mikasa didn't flinch at the offhanded remark. She just stared at Eren until he caved in.

"Ah, fine. We'll go see him tonight."

* * *

It was around nine at night when Armin heard knocking at his living room door. He wasn't expecting anyone, so the sudden noise made him jump. He rushed down the stairs and peeked through the peephole in the door.

His heart sank. _Shit._ It was Eren and Mikasa paying him a visit. Armin inhaled and exhaled deeply. He could do this. He plastered on the realest fake smile he could and opened the door slowly.

"Hi, guys." Barely a whisper.

"I..um..you have my jacket." Eren mumbled, he looked down and shuffled his feet.

Armin sighed. A huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders, just from that silly remark. Eren didn't say anything about his pathetic behavior, which was relieving even if for a moment. However, he tensed up again. "I'm sorry I haven't returned it to you. Come in, it's cold outside."

Both teenagers entered the house and took off their shoes. Armin silently thanked his lucky stars that Mikasa was here to ease the tension between him and Eren.

"Um, I'll go get the jacket." Armin rushed up the stairs.

"I'm coming with you." Eren followed him, leaving Mikasa in the living room.

Armin tried to speed walk away from him, and shut his bedroom door behind him. "Armin!" Eren wedged himself between the door. "What the hell, Armin! What's wrong?!" Eren grasped Armin's wrist.

Armin pulled himself away and looked at his friend. He felt that his heart was going to fall out of his chest. He couldn't keep his composure, he was inwardly and outwardly freaking out now. Eren noticed Armin's hyperventilating and backed away from him.

"Armin are you okay?" Eren then walked toward his friend slowly. He didn't want to scare him off. "Listen, Armin. I need to talk to you."

Armin sighed. There was no use in weirding Eren out. Perhaps the situation was still salvageable. "Eren, I'm so sorry. I know I've been acting strangely." He reached for the varsity jacket. "It's just difficult to explain..."

Eren couldn't hold himself much longer. "Armin, who gave you the note?" He blurted.

"Note...?" Armin repeated in horror. _Now he knows. Now he really knows. You should have gotten rid of the note, moron._

"The one that said..." Eren's words trailed off.

Armin, desperate to control the situation, lied. "That? Oh that was just a prank." He handed the jacket over to an unbelieving Eren. "Just...just an old classmate..." Armin didn't even notice the tears in his eyes until they rolled down his face. He gasped at the sudden moisture. Eren noticed. "Then if it was just a prank, why are you crying? Why did you cry then?"

The blonde rubbed his face._ Dammit._ "Eren, please." Was all that he was able to say with his hands covering his face. _Why are you such a crybaby?_

"Armin it's okay. You don't have to say anything. Just please let me be here for you, like when we were kids." Eren ruffled Armin's hair.

The smaller boy looked up at his friend and Eren had a brief moment of clarity. Armin's appearance really didn't change much since they were children. He still looked small and vulnerable. However, he changed in a different way. The air around Armin was different. He appeared more downtrodden, his smiles were often forced, as if something were weighing on his mind. Despite all of Eren's honest efforts, their friendship was strained. And tonight only proved that. Eren pulled Armin in a tight hug, not caring what he thought. It was a gesture that sent his friend over the edge, weeping openly in his shoulder. Warm, he was so warm. Armin breathed in Eren's scent. He smelled like nostalgia and axe body spray. He wanted to get lost in that comfort and warmth, and not think about any pain or embarrassment.

* * *

Mikasa spent her time looking at photographs that hung in the living room. There were family photos of Armin and his parents, and photos of Armin and his grandfather. Then some of just his parents, one of his mother, one of his father. One photo in particular really caught her attention.

There were two boys, they were around six or seven years old. They were standing in front of swings, holding hands. One boy had messy brown hair and multiple scrapes and bruises on his legs, the other boy was a soft-looking blonde with rosy cheeks and innocent blue eyes. Mikasa smiled a little at the irony that these two really close boys are the same ones that are bickering upstairs. The dark-haired girl walked to the foot of the stairs when the voices of the two friends became quiet, then dead silent in a matter of a few minutes. She climbed up the creaky steps, Armin's door was slightly ajar, light seeping through. She opened it and smiled at the sight she saw.

It appeared as though Eren and Armin exhausted each other with their arguing. They were both lying on the floor fast asleep. Mikasa gave another of her rare smiles.

* * *

When Armin woke up it was already morning, he was drowsy and confused, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Eren was right next to him, they were on the floor and were sharing a blanket. He looked up, Mikasa was sitting in his chair. She was asleep as well, her head was low and her hair was covering her face.

"M-Mikasa?" Armin whispered. The girl eased awake and blinked a couple of times before turning to the boy.

"So you're finally awake. You two fell asleep after your little squabble last night." Armin blushed and opened his mouth to begin explaining himself, but she stopped him. "Don't worry, it's not like I'd tell anyone."

Armin laughed a little, then stood up, being careful to leave the snoring Eren undisturbed. "Um, I'll make some breakfast. I'm sorry to trouble you guys so much."

They both took one last look at Eren, who was a remarkably deep sleeper and proceeded down the stairs in silence. Armin had introduced Mikasa to his grandfather, who had just come home from work and was particularly tired, so he went to his room to sleep. The duo made pancakes for breakfast, they grabbed their share and left some for Eren when he decided to wake up. Armin and Mikasa ate in comfortable silence until Mikasa was done.

"You know Eren was really worried about you. He wouldn't stop talking about the note or about you crying." Armin just looked at her, he felt ashamed of himself. He didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter because she kept talking anyway. "What happened, Armin? I won't tell Eren, because you need to tell him yourself."

Armin took a deep breath. He trusted Mikasa, so he could finally let everything go. He needed to let it off of his chest, this was a good start. "I didn't have to leave St. Sina's." He began quietly, staring down at his fingers. He began to nervously pick at his cuticles. "They have dorms there for students, so I didn't have to leave. I used my parents' accident as an excuse, though."

Mikasa listened intently, and nodded as if to tell him to continue. Armin breathed again. "You know, when my mother told me that I was different from other boys, I never quite understood what she meant. I liked the same things that any boy would like, I didn't seem abnormal in any way. But then I started to feel abnormal when I was around 13. There was a senior that I had really admired, I was only in 8th grade so I didn't see him that often, but when I did, he was really kind to me. I cried at his graduation, and then I realized that I..." Armin didn't finish his sentence.

"That you what?"

"I really liked him. Not just like a friend, or someone older than me that I looked up to, but...something more..." He drifted again, paused, waited for Mikasa's reaction. She was a stoic as ever. Armin continued. "After a while, I felt relieved that he had graduated, because all of those weird feelings were gone. Life could continue on normally, I even had a girlfriend for a few months."

"What happened to her?"

"I couldn't continue with the relationship. I felt like I was lying to her, and to myself. Then in my freshman year I developed feelings for a friend of mine. We weren't particularly close, but I couldn't help myself, and we became close in such a short amount of time. I thought that he felt the same way about me, so I confessed to him." Each word was becoming harder to say, Armin's breathing became hitched, and he was now bleeding a little from his cuticles from picking at them so much. Mikasa noticed his stress and placed her hand on his to comfort him. He took another deep breath.

"He said that he didn't know what to say, and that he'd give me a proper response soon enough. At the time I was concerned, I didn't know how he'd actually take it since his initial reaction was only surprise. Later that day, I found a note on my desk. It was from my friend, it said 'I feel the same way about you, Armin, but I want us to meet up in the library after school so I can tell you in person.' I felt absolutely elated." He gave a sad smile, tears were beginning to well up. Mikasa's stone face only softened slightly. "The entire day I was on cloud nine, nothing could bring me down. After school I rushed to the library, I knew it would be empty because the librarian liked to leave early. When I walked in...I saw him...I saw.." Armin began to choke on his sobs, he tightly held Mikasa's hand that was still rested on his. "All of my classmates, laughing. They stood there, he was in front of them. They were laughing and calling me the worst names, making the most obscene gestures." He sobbed some more, and tried to compose himself. "I wanted to die, Mikasa. I ran back home, and I didn't go to school for a month. My parents were so worried, my grandfather came to visit me, but nothing helped. They fought so much over me, they weren't sure what to do with me, but I was too scared to face school again. Then I began to get texts and calls that mocked me and made me feel disgusting. When I finally told my parents the whole truth, they were devastated because I didn't tell them sooner." He paused and the raven-haired girl gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "They fought horribly that night, and went out for a drive...that's...that's when they..." Armin couldn't say anything else anymore, but he felt so light, as though his problems were solved simply by talking about them.

"So the boy that gave you the note last week..."

"He was the friend I confessed to. Everything was going well until he showed up."

Mikasa stood up from her seat and walked towards the door. "You have to tell Eren. I can't say how he will react, but you need to tell him. I will be leaving now, I have track practice soon. Thank you for breakfast."

Armin gave a shaky nod as he saw her leave. When the door shut, Armin heard a muffled yawn and footsteps from upstairs. Eren was awake. The blonde teenager braced himself for the worst with the renewed strength that Mikasa gave him.

Eren shuffled downstairs and gave a drowsy greeting. "G'Morning Armin...about last night..."

Armin sat Eren down on the sofa."I have to tell you something, Eren."

* * *

So much angst and dialogue, I'm sorry (cries) This was kind of painful to write because I love Armin so much, my sweet baby, I hate to see him sad. Expect to a lot of mama bear Mikasa, too.


	3. Things Like Dating

Thank you once again for wonderful reviews and patience! This chapter was rather fun to write in my opinion. I wanted to keep it a little lighthearted because I'm in such a good mood. Anyway, enjoy~

* * *

"...That...that's it?" Eren said quietly.

Armin began to worry. "What do you mean 'that's it?'"

Eren stumbled with his words, he was trying to hide his anger. "The bastards did such a horrible thing to you, over something so...so...ugh!" Eren slammed his fist into a coffee table. Despite Eren's rage, Armin was incredibly relieved. His anger and frustration was aimed towards his old classmates and not towards him.

"Eren, there's no use in getting angry over something you can't help. I'm okay. I just...I didn't know how'd you react because I'm...well..." He clutched the cushion of the sofa.

The brunette blushed a little and looked down. "N-no that's not it. I don't care." Eren rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the ceiling awkwardly. "I mean, uh, you haven't done...done it..with a guy, right?"

Armin paused for a moment, and then couldn't help but burst out in laughter. He doesn't remember the last time he laughed this much. Is that seriously all Eren concerned himself with? He reached over and pinched his friend's nose. "Why are you so dense, honestly? No, I'm still a virginal maiden, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?!" Eren gasped, and blushed a deeper shade of pink.

Armin giggled. "I'm only kidding, Eren. Don't be so protective over my chastity."

"I-I'm not I just don't want some creep coming on to you..." He mumbled. Armin giggled again and stood up from the sofa. "Anyway, I made pancakes for breakfast. I already ate so you can take as many as you'd like."

Eren's face lit up shortly before his stomach growled. "Thanks Armin." He smiled and pat his friend on the head.

Armin sat next to Eren as he devoured the stack of pancakes, one by one. The blonde watched his friend and gave an appreciative smile, he could breathe now. He felt a little silly for anguishing over something that Eren didn't mind, and in fact felt protective over._ He is a good friend. _

Eren then noticed Armin staring. "What are you looking at?" He said with his mouth full and pancake crumbs falling on his shirt.

"Nothing."  
Eren shrugged and looked deep in thought. "You know, if I see one of those assholes picking on you again, I'm gonna beat the shit out of them. I'm still upset about that."

"Yes, yes. Here, you have some syrup on your face." He took a napkin and wiped Eren's cheek clean. The contact made Eren blush a little, and unsure of what to say, he made a sarcastic response. "I know I'm a great-looking guy and all, but don't go falling in love with me, now."

Armin playfully rolled his eyes. "Eren, I think you're the one who's in love with yourself."

_Eren really is a good friend._

* * *

Going to school on Monday felt nice for Armin, he could breathe again. His friends were happy to see him and his teachers were glad to see he was doing well. He did, however, have a sense of dread in the back of his mind._ If he did it once, he'll do it again_. But Armin reassured himself, knowing that Eren was on his side, he felt nearly invincible.

He and his friends were sitting at lunch when there was an announcement for a winter formal dance. Armin's face lit up. "Ah, Sasha and Connie were telling me about this! They're on the committee for setting up events. I think it's really nice, all the proceeds made from selling the tickets will go to charity."

"Isn't it the same day as the football game, though?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah, it's right after the game. Also, the tickets come cheaper if you bring a date."

"Which is like a slap in the face for all of us who are single." A whiny voice came up behind them.

"Jean, it's okay, it's not your fault that you have that incredible horse face. The ladies just aren't into that." Eren snickered at Jean, who sat down with the trio.

"Ouch Eren, that really hurt." Jean feigned being offended. "But I didn't come here to deal with your annoying ass." He turned to Mikasa, his cockiness depleting rapidly, and a blush crawling on his face. "I, um, wanted to know if you can come with me to the formal..."

"No, I'm going with Eren." She mercilessly shot him down immediately.

Jean felt the pang of rejection and sighed. "You're a stone fox, Mikasa."

Armin, trying to relieve the situation, nervously spoke up. "Ah, well there are plenty of cute girls to ask, Jean. Have you asked Christa? I don't think she's going with anyone..."

Jean almost spit out the water he was taking a sip of. "Shhhyeah right! That girl has a brick wall around her named Ymir. Every guy that tried to ask her out was threatened by that woman. There's no way I'm gonna do that."

"Who's Ymir?"

Jean let out a breathy sigh. "Where do I begin with her? Well she's a senior, so she won't be here to pester Christa forever. Dunno, she's just kind of clingy and doesn't talk to very many people. Oh, but she's kind of a bad ass, she's on the lacrosse team and the wrestling team and girls' basketball team. That's partially why she's so damned intimidating. I wouldn't dare ask Christa out to the formal."

"Well you don't know unless you try." Armin laughed.

"I'll pass." Jean said, taking some of Eren's tater tots from his lunch tray. "So are you gonna go with someone, Armin?"

"Ah, I'm not sure yet, maybe I'll ask Christa myself." Armin said with a smile. Mikasa looked over at Eren who looked over at Armin, who didn't notice the eye contact. "You don't have to force yourself, Armin-" Eren began to say until Jean interrupted him.

"Aah~ So you've taken an interest to the goddess?" Jean teased.

Armin rapidly waved his hands in denial. "Oh, no it's not like that at all! She was just very kind to me the week I was gone, she kept me updated with my classes and homework, since our schedules are practically identical! She's been a dear friend, I don't like her like that at all."

Jean let out an unsatisfied 'hmph' and got back up, taking some more tots from an angry Eren's tray before waving goodbye to the three.

"You're really going to ask Christa to the formal?" Eren questioned Armin, slightly in shock.

"Of course. Like I said, she's a good friend of mine. Friends can go to dances together, Eren. Like how you're going with Mikasa, right?"

Eren pondered for a bit. "Yeah, you're right. So when are you gonna ask her?"

Armin craned his neck to see the clock hung on the far side of the lunchroom. "When lunch is over, in about ten minutes."

* * *

Armin couldn't find Christa in the hallways, so he'd ask her in Physics. When he walked into the class, it was full of talkative classmates and students that weren't even part of the class, in one corner he spotted a shadowy figure hunched over his or her phone. It was a substitute teacher. Armin sighed, he didn't enjoy it when there were subs, too many random kids would flood the classroom and it would distract him from getting work done or even reading in his down time. He walked towards where he spotted Christa sitting down, she had a taller girl hugging her from behind, and no one else around her. He could safely assume that she was Ymir.

"Hi Armin!" Christa smiled at him, and from behind Ymir simply glared.

"Hey Christa. What happened to our teacher?" He pulled up a seat next to her, which seemed to irk the older girl.

The petite girl shuffled out of Ymir's iron embrace to reach down for no particular reason and pick up some stray papers on the floor, if only to be able to move. "I'm not exactly sure, but I don't mind because the class has been stressful lately. It's nice to have a break once in a while." She gave Armin a smile that would renew the spirits of a man stranded in the desert for a thousand days. Christa just had a tendency to exude grace and beauty, and Armin noticed that Ymir had a tendency to make said grace and beauty a rare thing to behold and appreciate.

"Oh, speaking of taking a break, I wanted to know if you'd come to the winter formal with me. You really helped me out last week, and this is sort of my thank you." Armin said, and from his peripheral view, he spotted Ymir furrowing her brows, positioning herself in a threatening manner, ready to attack anyone (that anyone being Armin at the moment) that dared try to woo her Christa. But there was no wooing to be done today.

Christa beamed with joy and turned to her friend, unaware of her current facial expression. "Ymir, I can finally wear the dress we bought together. The pretty blue one with the bows!" Ymir was unable to protest, admiring the girl's elated expression, but managed a snarky response anyway. "Ohh but weren't we supposed to go together? Only I'm allowed to see you in that beautiful dress." Ymir dramatically threw her arms around Christa's tiny frame and let them dangle from her shoulders. The blonde girl shrugged them off. "Ymir quit being so thick-headed. You know they won't allow two girls to count as dates for the formal. And besides, you said earlier you wouldn't be able to make it."

Ymir pouted and looked to Armin for his reaction to the little scene. He seemed unfazed by Ymir's glaring, he had no real reason to feel in danger.

"Don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures." Christa reassured the senior, and Ymir didn't seem to be so bothered anymore. The other blonde looked at Armin and gave another of her signature smiles. "Thank you so much for asking me, I can't wait for the formal!"

* * *

Today Armin was walking home from school all by himself, typically he was accompanied by Eren and Mikasa, but he had football practice and she had her own track practice. Armin admired their physical strength and fortitude. Even though it wasn't even track season, Mikasa still ran and even lifted weights. She probably had more abs than Armin. The thought made him laugh to himself as he turned the corner, only a few blocks from his house. Armin began to think about his friends and his current high school life. Things were getting better, once in a while he'd still be nervous when entering a classroom, unsure of who is on the other side of the door. It was a silly fear, but a fear nonetheless. He kept these thoughts suppressed by keeping himself busy and keeping himself with good company. Armin's friends really were the best, especially Eren and Mikasa. They were wholly understanding of him, giving him nothing but unconditional friendship. He even realized in that moment that they were the first of his peers that he really 'came out' to, a process he'd likely never go through again. Despite being comfortable with himself, Armin never wanted to make anyone else uncomfortable with him. He decided that he'd keep his sexuality under wraps.

_Sexuality._ He entertained the thought of lusting after another person. He held romantic feelings before, but the sexual feelings that typically come packaged with those never really held ground in Armin's mind. He pondered this 'lust' thing a little more, what kind of body would suit his taste? Perhaps someone who had lean, defined muscles, but not a brawny man. Warm, tan skin, someone with arms that wrapped around his body to keep him safe. Someone with eyes that captivated him. _Someone like Eren..._

Armin brought himself back to walking, startled by his wandering mind. That was somewhere that he wasn't allowed to go, so he focused on his feet moving instead, vowing to never think about lust again.

Footsteps from behind then distracted Armin from his own walking. He turned around to see that Ymir was not to far from where he was.

"Yo, blondie." She said with a wave of her hand, and took several long strides to meet Armin at his pace.

"Y-Ymir." Armin was surprised by this sudden visitor. No one really walked this path to or from school.

"Listen, short stuff, I have to tell you something really quick."

Armin paused to converse with the older girl. "Oh, okay."

"About Christa, I probably shouldn't be letting you take my babe to the formal, but I'll make an exception so don't worry, I'm not here to threaten you or anything."

Armin sighed a small breath of relief, though it wasn't really necessary since he had no ulterior motives with Christa. "Yeah, thanks, I guess. But why am I an exception, then?" He positioned himself in a slightly defensive stance, unsure of what the girl with the ponytail would do.

She leaned in extremely close to him, so close that their noses almost touched. It appeared as though not only did she want him to hear what she had to say, but for him to feel it on her breath as well. "It's pretty obvious don't you think? That you're so undeniably gay it's kind of painful."

_Yeah. Keep my sexuality under wraps, good one._

* * *

Chapter 4 coming soon.


	4. Touch

I'm sorry that this chapter is a little short, but honestly I wasn't sure what I was going to write after chapter 3. I just sorta went with whatever and hopefully it's good enough.

* * *

Football practice today was especially stressful, Eren's body was sore and his mind was worn. The team's assistant coach, Levi, was in a bitter mood today, and made them run a seemingly endless amount of laps around the track. Mikasa was there, she separated herself from the team, and all on her own she ran more laps than the guys without breaking a sweat. Sometimes Eren wondered if she was even human, with that kind of physical endurance. It also made him extremely jealous, but he never vocalized such embarrassing feelings. When he arrived home, he dragged himself straight upstairs to the bathroom, largely ignoring anything else that was going on in the house. His mother was making dinner, and his father was reading the paper out loud to his wife. Nothing out of the ordinary, not a hair out of place.

Eren quickly stripped his dirty clothes and left them in a heap on the bathroom floor. He turned on the shower and didn't even wait for the water to get hot, a decision he regretted once the icy cold water pelted his skin. Though once it warmed up, the aching from his muscles seemed to dissolve instantly; the steam was soothing despite it being a little difficult to breathe. As Eren was washing his body, his hands began to wander southward. He felt that he probably owed himself a good wank anyway, to relieve his stress. As he was mindlessly stroking himself, he began to think about how long it's been since he's actually had sex, not that there was anyone in particular he wanted to do it with right now, no girl really evoked his interest. He generally wanted someone cute with fair skin and fair hair, he thought of parted lips and half-lidded blue eyes and a shivering frame beneath him. _Armin...gosh, he was so cute..._

He startled himself at how good it felt to think of his best friend. He kept fantasizing about him, each stroke becoming more intense than the last the more he thought. Eren thought of his dear friend begging for him, wanting his body. For a moment he tried to think of someone else, anyone else, but the sensation only dulled when he did. He remembered his smaller body when they would change for gym, he thought of his bony, nimble fingers touching Eren, Armin moaning his name in ecstasy.

"Ar...min..." He mouthed as he finished in his hand with a shudder. The sweet release did not compensate for the immense guilt that followed after. He stared at his palm, the shower washing away the evidence of his shame, but the regret was still there in the pit of his stomach. How was he going to look at Armin in the face? Eren just gazed down at his feet, letting the hot water cleanse his body, but he felt so dirty. He wanted to apologize to his friend, but he knew it was stupid to do so. _Yeah, I'm very sorry that I masturbated while thinking of you. It felt really good, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me._ The steam from the shower was making it even more difficult to breathe, the soothing feeling now became suffocating. He turned off the shower quickly and hopped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. Eren stormed into his room and threw himself on his bed, just wanting to sleep and not think about anything.

* * *

Mikasa found Eren completely asleep and mostly naked, save for an unraveling towel barely covering his ass. She usually visits his house on a daily basis, practically becoming family in the Yeager household. His mother took a liking to her, since she typically kept Eren out of trouble in school. On normal days, the two teenagers would just sit around in Eren's room or the living room talking or watching a movie; Eren was never the type to take naps in the middle of the day, so finding him like this was quite the unusual development. Though it was a little awkward, Mikasa retained her composure while trying to wake the brunette.

"Eren, wake up." She murmured softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. He only groaned and turned away from her. "Get up, we're going to the mall with our friends in an hour. Armin is going to be here soon." Still no response. She sighed and left the room, hoping that Armin would be able to wake him up once he arrived. She made her way downstairs, Eren's parents weren't in the kitchen anymore, she could safely assume that they were on the back porch, quietly talking like they normally do. Suddenly there was rapid knocking on the front door. _Speak of the devil, Armin finally arrived._ Mikasa opened the door to find a flustered and huffing Armin.

"I-I'm sorry." He gasped for air. "When you texted me about going to the mall...I was busy. That's why I'm a little late."

"Oh? Busy how?"

"Ah..." Armin began to drift off, but brought himself back. "I was talking to Ymir, yeah, about... the formal and all. I'm going to go with Christa."

"Well that's good." Mikasa said dryly. "Oh, Eren's asleep in his room right now. I tried waking him up, but I don't want to because he's naked. Go wake him up for me?"

Armin laughed. "Okay, okay." He marched up the stairs and into Eren's room. Mikasa was right, he was out like a light and in the buff. There was a towel strewn to his side. _Maybe he fell asleep after taking a shower?_ The boy walked over to his friend, hardly fazed by his nakedness, and leaned in to touch his face. Eren would almost always wake up if his face was touched, no matter how deep his slumber. His eyes fluttered open, green meeting blue.

"Hello, Eren. I'm glad to see that you're well rested." Armin smiled.

It took a moments for the fog of sleep to dissipate, Eren wasn't sure if he was dreaming of a beautiful angel or not. However, reality quickly sunk in and his memories of his shower flooded his mind. His face became a vibrant red, and Armin took notice. "E-Eren, do you have a fever? Are you alright?" He gently pressed his palm to Eren's forehead.

_No, no, no, no. Don't touch me like that. Not with those hands._ Eren winced. Armin pressed his hand harder and Eren, not knowing what else to do, slapped his hand away. "I-I-I'm fine. I just..." Then Eren remembered that he was naked. _This really isn't my day._ He grabbed some blankets and hiked them up to his chest. "Armin, please leave! I'm gonna get dressed now!"

The blonde was startled by his jumpy behavior, but not wanting to be rude, he left and closed the door behind him. Eren just sat on his bed, his face flushed and a steady stream of tears flowing down, the humiliation was almost too much to bear.


End file.
